


The Medicine of Friendship

by kineticmethod



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Enjolras, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 07:39:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12206784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kineticmethod/pseuds/kineticmethod
Summary: Enjolras gets the flu and Combeferre and Courfeyrac take care of him.





	The Medicine of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> This is purely a self-indulgent sickfic and I have no apologies for that. I'm not a doctor, so please don't use this as medical advice! I hope you enjoy!

Enjolras was finally home. Thank God.

Fridays were his worst days. While everyone else was gearing up for the weekend, he had two morning classes, a bit of a break, then three afternoon classes. His last class ended at 4:30, but then he had to work in one of the campus convenience stores until 9. 

He hadn't been in his apartment since 1 this afternoon, and he was exhausted. It didn't help that he had woken up with a headache spreading across his forehead, a throat that didn't quite hurt at the time but hinted at the pain to come, and a runny nose. Now, his headache was close to blinding, his throat was raw-feeling despite the water he drank throughout the day to alleviate it, and his nose had stopped running, but now it was plugged up enough that he had to breathe through his nose. On top of this, his feet and back ached from his cross-campus walk to work with his heavy backpack. The uphill trek to his apartment didn't help either. 

He walked in to the living room and flipped down onto the couch. Combeferre and Courfeyrac were both still out, most likely studying in the 24-hour library. That was fine with him; he didn't feel up for any social interaction at the moment, not even with his best friends. 

He figured he should probably make something for dinner, since the last thing he'd eaten was a granola bar before his shift had started, but he was so tired. After a moment of contemplating whether to get up or not, his stomach gave a particularly loud growl, and he padded toward the kitchen.

He settled on some canned ravioli, and while it heated up in the microwave, he also started making some tea. He wasn't a huge tea drinker, but Combeferre swore left and right about how great it was for helping cold symptoms. He was quite useless at figuring out what medicines to take for what symptoms, so he just decided to skip that for now. 

His ravioli was done, as was his tea, so he flopped back down on the couch to eat. He started shivering as he ate, so he grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around his shoulders. 

When he finished eating, he didn't even bother throwing out his trash or putting his mug in the sink. He was so exhausted that he just stretched out on the couch, adjusted his blanket so it covered himself better, and fell asleep nearly instantly.   
\---------------  
Combeferre and Courfeyrac had just spent the majority of their evening studying. They went to the dining court as soon as it opened at 5, then studied close to 10, when they realized that Enjolras would be home, and a walk on campus after 10 could be dangerous anyway, so they decided to head home. 

They did not expect to see a sleeping Enjolras on the couch when they walked in. Enjolras very rarely slept on the couch, not even just for a nap, so this was different to say the least. 

Combeferre walked over to the sleeping lump of blanket and boy to try to wake him. As he gently shook him, Combeferre couldn't help but notice how warm Enjolras felt to him and the two red splotches that sat on top of Enjolras's cheeks.

"Hey, Courf? Could you go get the thermometer and some pajamas for Enj?" Combeferre asked.

"Uhh, sure. Is he okay?" Courfeyrac responded, suddenly concerned about his friend. 

"I'm not totally positive yet, but I think Enj is sick, but I'll need the thermometer to know for sure, as well as check him out to see what his symptoms are." Combeferre responded. 

Courfeyrac nodded then set off down the hall to grab the thermometer and some pajamas. 

As Courfeyrac walked off, Enjolras woke up, disturbed by Combeferre's shaking and the noise of their conversation. He let out a sleepy groan before asking, "Ferre?"

"Hey," Combeferre said with a gentle smile, "are you feeling alright? You feel warm, and your face is a little flushed."

"'M tired Ferre." Enjolras slurred.

"I know you are, but can you tell me how you're feeling before you go to bed?"

Enjolras slowly listed off his symptoms: "Tired. Head hurts. Throat too. Nose is all plugged. Feel cold."

At this point, Courfeyrac had returned with pajamas and the thermometer. Combeferre took the thermometer from him and turned toward Enjolras. He asked, "Can you hold this under your tongue for me?"

Enjolras pouted but put the thermometer in his mouth. After a few seconds it beeped, and Combeferre grabbed it. 

"101.4. Sounds like you've caught the flu."

Enjolras groaned and tried to lay back down, but Combeferre stopped him. "Hold on a minute. You should go to your own bed. You'll be much more comfortable there. And here, Courfeyrac grabbed you some pajamas. So why don't you head to your room, and I'll come check on you in a minute? Okay?"

Enjolras let out another groan, but grabbed the pajamas from Courfeyrac and padded down the hall to his room. Combeferre asked, "Courf, could you make some tea? It looks like he just had some, but we'll need to keep him hydrated, and the tea should help with his throat and nose. I'm gonna grab some medicine for him then check him out."

"I can do that." Courfeyrac replied.

Combeferre went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and pulled out the cold and flu tablets as well as some sore throat lozenges. He then went to his room and grabbed his stethoscope and penlight. He entered Enjolras's room, where he found said boy lying in bed with his arm slung over his eyes. 

"Headache?" He asked.

He received a nod in response.

"Can you sit up for me? I just want to check your symptoms."

Enjolras let out a groan that begged for sleep, but he complied. Combeferre adjusted the pillows behind him so he didn't have to sit up on his own. Enjolras shot him a grateful smile before a coughing fit took hold of his breathing. 

"You didn't say you'd been coughing," Combeferre said, half-stating and half-questioning once the coughing had stopped.

"Because I haven't been. That was the first time." Enjolras responded.

"Right. Sit up a bit. I want to listen to your lungs real quick." Enjolras did, and Combeferre stuck the earpieces of his stethoscope in his ears and placed the bell on Enjolras's chest. Enjolras flinched a bit at the cold metal and Combeferre apologized. "Deep breaths now."

Once he finished listening, he pulled out his penlight. He flicked it on and said, "Now say 'ahh'." Enjolras complied, face turning a little red at the childish action. 

Once he was finished examining Enjolras's throat, Combeferre gently prodded under Enjolras's jawline, feeling his lymph glands. He said, "Your throat's a little red, and your glands are up, but no white or yellow spots, so it's luckily just the flu."

"Luckily?" Enjolras asked incredulously.

"Alright, maybe not luckily, but thankfully it's nothing too serious. You should be back on your feet in a few days." Combeferre responded.

Enjolras groaned at the thought of a mother-hen Combeferre for a few days, and he didn't even want to consider how the rest of Les Amis would react if they found out, which he figured they would, considering he lived with the ever-social Courfeyrac. "I hate being sick," he grumbled with a pout. 

"I know you don't, but even fearless leaders get sick. Just stay in bed, rest, and take your medicine and you'll be back to normal before you know it." Combeferre said, trying to cheer up his disgruntled friend.

"Do I have to take medicine? It's awful and makes me tired." Enjolras whined

Combeferre replied, "No, you don't have to, but you'll feel pretty miserable without it. And as your best-friend-slash-doctor-in-training, I'm strongly suggesting that you take them."

Enjolras deflated a bit. He knew Combeferre was right, and that he needed to take some medicine, but he just hated the taste of it and the groggy feeling it gave him. "Fine. I'll take it." He sighed.

Courfeyrac then walked in with a new mug of tea. "I heard someone needs to take some medicine and could use something to wash the taste out of his mouth," he said in a singsong voice.

Enjolras stuck his tongue out at him but accepted the mug with a smile a second later. Combeferre handed him a cold and flu tablet and set the lozenges on the nightstand. "Take this now," he said regarding the tablet, "and take a lozenge when your throats starts to bother you."

At that moment, Enjolras's lungs decided to revolt. Combeferre rubbed up and down his back as Courfeyrac climbed into the bed with Enjolras and gently stroked his hair until he settled down again. Combeferre said, "I think you should take some cough medicine too."

Enjolras's only response was to groan and pull the blanket over his head. 

Courfeyrac said, "Hey. I know it's gross, but it'll make you feel better and make it easier for you to breathe without coughing up a lung." As he said this, he gently removed Enjolras from under the blanket. 

"Fine," Enjolras conceded.

Combeferre left to grab the medicine then brought it to Enjolras's bedroom. "Alrighty, Enj. Just take this and we'll leave you to sleep," he said as he offered Enjolras the plastic cup of medicine. Enjolras drank it, shuddered a bit at the taste, then quickly washed it down with his tea.

"We'll leave you to rest now. But if you need us, we're right down the hall. Don't hesitate to call one of us in here," said Combeferre.

"Goodnight, Enj. Sleep well. We all know you need your rest," Courfeyrac added, planting a kiss to the top on Enjolras's head and climbing out of his bed.

"Night, guys," Enjolras slurred, already being pulled into sleep.

Courfeyrac and Combeferre quietly left Enjolras's room, shutting the door with a gentle click.   
\---------------  
The night went pretty well, all things considered. The only one who had trouble sleeping wasn't Enjolras, but Combeferre. He was so worried about his friend, and spent most of the night listening for the slightest signal that something was wrong.

But, thankfully, nothing happened. He could hear Enjolras coughing, but either it didn't wake him or it did but he was able to get back to sleep without any issue.

Combeferre finally fell asleep around 3 in the morning, then woke up at 9. He pulled himself out of bed and went across the hall to check on Enjolras. 

Upon entering the room, Combeferre found Enjolras sitting upright in bed, typing rather furiously on his laptop, sniffling every few seconds.

"Oh no. Absolutely not," he admonished, "You're sick. You're supposed to be resting."

"I am resting, Ferre. See, I'm in bed, wearing pajamas, and drinking tea-"

"-And working on your English assignment, by the looks of it. That's not resting, Enjolras," Combeferre replied. 

This confrontation turned into a stare-down, but Enjolras's usually heated glare held no weight on Combeferre's annoyed-doctor glare. He shut his laptop.

Combeferre took it and placed it on the desk on the other side of the room, then approached Enjolras once more. He asked, "Do you feel up to eating something? I know you might not want anything, but you should still put some food in you. Some toast, maybe?"

"Sure. Sounds fine," Enjolras replied.

"Alright, I'm going to go make some, and if I find out you're trying to work again, I will actually pin you to the bed."

"Uh-huh. Sure you will."

Combeferre chuckled lightly, then left the room. 

He came back a few minutes later with a plate of toast and a new mug of tea. He placed the toast on Enjolras's lap and the mug on his nightstand. "Before you eat, though, I want to check your temperature. He grabbed the thermometer from the nightstand and said, "You know what to do."

Enjolras put it in his mouth, and when it beeped, Combeferre grabbed it. He said, "102. It's gone up, Enj. I don't want you going anywhere except the bathroom, and I don't want you doing anything except watching TV or sleeping." Enjolras looked like he was about to protest, but Combeferre continued, "I know, it's no fun, but you need to rest. You work far too hard, and you need to slow down. This is your body's way of telling you to. If you're good, then later I'll let you move to the couch and we can watch bad movies."

Enjolras pouted, but conceded. 

"There's a good revolutionary. Now eat your breakfast." Combeferre made to leave, but Enjolras grabbed his hand.

"Will you stay? Please?"

"Of course. Scooch over."

Combeferre climbed in and Enjolras curled up next to him, resting his head on Combeferre's shoulder as he ate his toast. 

Once he had finished, Combeferre extricated himself from the bed and Enjolras made a noise of protest at the loss. "Don't worry, I'm coming back, but first you need to take more medicine."

"But Ferre-"

"No "buts," Enj. You need it. You know you do."

Enjolras let out a groan but let Combeferre go to get the foul medicine. Combeferre returned and first poured out the cough syrup. "Bottoms up, my friend." Enjolras drank it, gagging a bit as the overly-sweetened liquid slid down his throat. Then Combeferre passed him a tablet, which Enjolras choked down quickly. "Good. Now, do you want me to stay, or should I leave?"

"Stay. Please."

"Alright." Combeferre said with a smile. He took up his previous position next to Enjolras, who immediately curled up next to him, laying his head on Combeferre's chest.

There was a bit of shuffling in the hallway, and then a rather sleep-ruffled Courfeyrac appeared. He looked at the two friends snuggled up on the bed and said, "You decided to have a cuddle party without me? I am wounded." He clutched his chest and staggered over to the bed, where he collapsed onto the end.

Enjolras and Combeferre both smiled at their ridiculous friend before pulling their legs up enough so that Courfeyrac could sit semi-comfortably on the end of the bed. "So, Enj, how are you feeling?"

"Still bad. Really achy. Not just my head, but my entire being."

"Wow…you must be feeling pretty bad if you're admitting that. Ferre, are you sure he's not dying?"

Enjolras gave a sarcastic "Ha-ha," but Combeferre just turned to his friend, suddenly serious. "He's got a point, Enj. You've never been one to complain, but if even you are saying you don't feel well, then it must be worse than normal. Can you tell me how you feel, on a scale of 1 to 10."

"Like a 5, maybe a 6," Enjolras replied, not looking at his friends.

"Alright," Combeferre said, "I'm calling Joly over. I trust his training and he's done much more than I have. I'm going to ask him to bring something for pain. And don't even try to argue with me."

Combeferre got out of the bed, and Courfeyrac took his place. He said, "I'm sorry you're not feeling well, Enj. But think of it this way: Joly's probably gonna bring you the good drugs that make you feel loopy and sleep like a rock."

"Great. Just what I need. Fuzzy thoughts and more sleep."

"Oh, don't be that way. We all know you need more sleep than you get. Think of this as a chance to pay off your sleep debt."

"But I feel…I don't know…useless, I guess. I feel like I should be working on something or going somewhere, not just be sitting here."

"Enjolras, look at me. You. Need. A. Break. We all know it. You just need to accept that and slow down. Give your body the rest it needs. Please."

"Okay Courf. I'll try, but can you stay here too?"

"Of course." Courfeyrac pulled Enjolras to him and started carding his fingers through Enjolras's hair. 

Combeferre came back in and joined the two boys on Enjolras's other side. He said, "Joly will be over in about an hour. He needs to run by the hospital to get the meds I asked for. It's a strong analgesic that should hopefully keep you from feeling so achy."

"M'kay," Enjolras slurred, "Will you stay here until then?"

"Of course. We both will," Combeferre answered. He grabbed a book off of the nightstand and started reading from where to bookmark had been placed. 

The three stayed like that, relaxing and simply enjoying each other's company, until a knock on their apartment's door made Combeferre get up to allow Joly in. 

Combeferre returned a few seconds later, this time with Joly in tow. Joly had a small box in his hands, which Enjolras assumed was the medicine Combeferre requested. Joly said, "Good morning, Enj. How are you feeling?"

"Gross," Enjolras grumbled.

"How specific," Joly said with a smile. "Now, how about I take a quick look at you, then I'll give you your meds?"

"Go crazy," Enjolras said.

Joly did a similar examination to the one Combeferre did the night before. He listened to his chest, looked into his ears, nose, and throat, and asked Enjolras a few questions about his symptoms. When he finished, he grabbed the box he had brought along and pulled out a syringe and an ampoule. 

Enjolras saw this, and his eyes went wide. "Wait. It's not a pill? I thought you were giving me a prescription."

Joly replied, "No, Enj. It's an injectable painkiller used quite often by people with injuries and migraines, but it can also be used for the pain you're feeling." 

Enjolras stammered, "No I-I'm feeling fine now-much better, actually. It must be the stuff I took this morning. It must be kicking in. I don't think you need to bother-"

"I'm sorry, Enj, but you need it. It'll only hurt for a second, then you can rest again," Combeferre said, cutting him off with no room for argument in his tone. He then gently pulled Enjolras to him, pulling his head to his chest, and rolled up Enjolras's sleeve. "Just don't watch him. Relax. Breathe."

Courfeyrac joined the pile by sitting near Enjolras's feet and gently stroking up and down his calves.

Enjolras tensed when he felt Joly rub the disinfectant on his arm, so Combeferre gently rubbed his back in an attempt to calm his friend. "It's alright. It'll be over soon, just relax."

Joly injected him, and Enjolras let out a sharp hiss as the needle pierced his arm, and he gripped Combeferre tighter. He remained clinging to Combeferre as Joly bandaged him and cleaned up his supplies. Joly said, "You did great, Enj. I'm sorry that it hurt you, but it should make you feel better." Enjolras's face remained buried in Combeferre's chest, but he did manage a weak nod.

Joly said to Combeferre, "That should help, but if he has any adverse effects, call me immediately. I'm off today, so I'll be home, and I can get here in less than 10 minutes."

Combeferre said, "Of course. Thank you, Joly."

As Joly left the room, he said, "Feel better, Enjolras. I'll ask Chetta to make some soup for you."

Enjolras weakly called out, "Thanks, Joly."

Combeferre gently pushed Enjolras back into a laying position and pulled the blankets up to his neck. He said, "Rest now, Enj. Courf and I will stay here if you'd like."

"Will you read some more?"

"Sure. But if I think you're getting too excited, I'm stopping."

"Deal."

The three settled in, Courfeyrac and Combeferre on opposite sides of Enjolras, and Combeferre began to read.   
\---------------  
At some point, Enjolras fell asleep, pulled under by a combination of the medicine Joly gave him and just the pure exhaustion of being sick.

Combeferre and Courfeyrac left so Enjolras could rest properly, with the whole bed to himself. They moved to the couch where they watched some documentary with the volume on low. After about an hour of this, they heard shuffling coming from down the hall. They looked up, and there stood Enjolras, wrapped in one of the throw blankets that had been on his bed.

Combeferre shot to his feet, saying, "Enjolras? What are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed."

"I'm tired of being in bed. You said if I was good, you'd let me move out here."

Courfeyrac said, "Oh, let him stay. He's been in bed all day. We can all watch Disney movies together!"

Courfeyrac's enthusiasm was too much, and he had a point, so Combeferre said, "Alright, you can stay, but you're not to leave the couch."

Courfeyrac cheered and Enjolras gave them a smile. They created a nest on the couch, with Enjolras under a couple blankets, his head on Combeferre's lap and his feet in Courfeyrac's.

They spent the afternoon like that, watching Disney movies and eating some of their leftovers from during the week. Close to dinner time, Joly returned, as promised, to deliver soup from Musichetta, so the boys ate that. 

Enjolras was given permission to read for a bit before bedtime, which he embraced enthusiastically. He lounged between his two friends reading Jane Eyre, which had been one of his favorites since his senior year of high school.

As the time drew on, Enjolras began to nod off more and more frequently. After nearly giving himself whiplash by jerking his head too quickly, Combeferre stopped him and sent him to bed after re-drugging him for the night.

Enjolras was out within ten minutes.  
\--------------  
When he woke up, Enjolras felt…significantly better. His throat still hurt a bit and his nose was still plugged, but he felt less tired and less achy.

He went out to the kitchen, where Combeferre was already up and making coffee. He noticed Enjolras and said, "Good morning. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better, actually."

"That's great, Enj. Can I check you out really quick?"

"Go for it."

Combeferre repeated his standard exam, and when he checked Enjolras's temperature, he said, "99.3. That's so much better, Enj." He gave his friend a smile and pulled him into a hug. He continued, "I still want you to take it easy today, but you're no longer confined to your bed."

"I am blessed," Enjolras said.

"No, you're basic, that's what you are," Combeferre retorted jokingly. "Would you like some breakfast? I was going to make pancakes."

"Sounds great."

As Combeferre made the pancakes, Courfeyrac stumbled into the kitchen, sleep-tousled and hair everywhere, but that wasn't unusual for him. He sleepily mumbled, "Do I smell pancakes?"

Combeferre replied, "Mm-hmm, and they're almost ready."

Once the pancakes were done, the three boys moved to the couch to eat. They ate in companionable silence, simply enjoying their pancakes and each other's company. 

After they were finished eating, Combeferre still made Enjolras take some medicine, but only a decongestant for his nose, and gave him tea to help with his throat. 

Enjolras said, "Thank you guys for taking care of me. I know I'm not the easiest patient, but you guys are the best caretakers."

Courfeyrac said, "It's no problem, Enj. You're our friend and we love you and we don't like seeing you miserable."

Combeferre replied, "He's right. We love you, Enj. We want to take care of you, and we want you to let us."

"I'll try to be a better patient next time. Thanks guys. I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> So…this is my first fic, and I'd love to see some kudos/comments!


End file.
